Wellbeing Brief - World Hepatitis Day
26 Jul 2018
World Hepatitis Day is on Saturday, 28 July
Hepatitis is the term used to describe inflammation of the liver. There are several different types of hepatitis, which are usually the result of a viral infection or liver damage caused by drinking alcohol.
The World Hepatitis Alliance has stated that out of the 325 million people living with viral hepatitis globally, upward of 290 million (that’s 9 in 10!) are living with hepatitis B or hepatitis C without knowing. They are warning that unless there is a massive scale-up in screening, diagnosis and linkage to care, more people will become infected and lives will continue to be lost.
In 2016, 194 governments adopted WHO’s Global Strategy on Viral Hepatitis, which includes a goal of eliminating hepatitis B and C by 2030, yet only a handful of countries are on track to meet these targets. The NHS had predicted the UK will meet this target by 2025.
Liver disease is on the increase in the UK and Viral Hepatitis in particular affects over 700,000 people. There are several viruses that cause hepatitis. The common ones are hepatitis A, B and C. Most people recover from hepatitis A with no lasting liver damage, but hepatitis B and C can cause long term liver disease and even liver cancer.
This year various charities linked to liver health are launching 'Find the Missing Millions' a three-year global awareness-raising and advocacy campaign aimed at tackling the main barriers to diagnosis. They are calling on all individuals and organisations to unite under the theme of “Eliminate Hepatitis” to drive action, build momentum and hold governments accountable to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.
You only have one liver, so it's important to know how to look after it. Finding out your risk of liver disease only takes a few minutes. Get started with a screening questionnaire by the British Liver Trust.